


Dawn Come Quickly

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Rey-Write 2 [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is a Mess, Canon Rewrite, Evil Snoke, First Kiss, Food Deprivation, Heavy Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kylo Ren Backstory, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Love Confessions, M/M, Nightmare Fuel, Not Actually Unrequited Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, POV Ben Solo, POV Poe Dameron, Poe Dameron Being a Little Shit, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Poe Dameron, Starvation, Torture, Whipping, ben solo has issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-18 16:25:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: First, Snoke breaks Ben Solo, and then, the galaxy breaks with them.





	1. Break

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Call it a case of something that came to me at one in the morning, and I had to write it. Title a bit of a modification of the title “Morning Come Quickly”, which I just like as a title.

_“You sure that you’re gonna be all right?”_

_Even standing in the hangar for the mission for the Unknown Regions, Poe couldn’t help but feel a sort of uneasy feeling in his gut. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was there nonetheless._

_Ben bit his lip. There was something about it that Poe couldn’t help but find...oddly compelling. The way his teeth seemed to worry that full, almost kissable lower lip. In that moment, he almost wanted to kiss Ben, but he decided against it. Ruining what they had, if Ben didn’t feel the same way..._

_”I don’t know,” Ben said, “But if we can make sure that whatever’s out there — ’’_

_”That’s not exactly reassuring,” Poe said, “‘Whatever’s out there.’ You make it sound like you don’t even know what you’re up against.”_

_”I know,” Ben said. “But we’ve got to take it down, whatever it is.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll be all right. After all,” and he smiled, looking a bit, strikingly, like his father in that moment, “What’s the worst that could happen?”_

_Poe hoped Ben was right. Then, “Just make sure you’re back in one piece, Ben.”_

_”Yes, sir,” Ben said lightly._

_Poe chuckled despite himself. Then, “See you back at Yavin.”_

_”See you back at Yavin.”_

_Ben clapped him on the shoulder, and Poe couldn’t help but feel a certain flutter at his touch. A hand that seemed to almost swallow his shoulder. He wondered if Ben could pick up on how he felt in that moment. He wondered if Ben knew._

_Then Ben left. Poe couldn’t help but worry. It wasn’t like a Force vision — he didn’t even have the Force. It was that good old uneasy gut feeling that something would go wrong out there. You never knew what was out there in the Unknown Regions, and going out there because of some sort of vision from Master Skywalker just wasn’t a good idea..._

_Poe could only hope that they could come back safe. And maybe he could tell Ben everything. About how he felt._

_Yeah, everything._

***

”Ben!”

Poe practically ran towards the figure in the cell, who was almost unrecognizable. Huddled against the wall, clothes ragged, looking disheveled and too thin, almost starved, flinching when Poe got too close... 

What had that monster done to him? Poe shuddered to think. He couldn’t bear the idea of Ben, his friend, the man he loved, being treated like this.

”Ben,” he said, “Oh, Ben. What did they do to you?”

Even fumbling to turn off the force field, Poe couldn’t help but be relieved. It was off. Ben was free. Even as Ben stumbled to his feet, the worst was the look in his eyes. They looked hollow, almost black, and dead. Whatever his captors had done to Ben, he wasn’t the same. 

Then his eyes cleared up and he said, weakly, “Poe.”

Ben could recognize him. That was at least good. 

“Let’s get the others,” Poe said. “It’s our best chance.”

Ben nodded. 

Fighting their way past guards — fortunately, Ben had been trained to fight with his fists, and he had the Force, and Poe was good with a blaster, so they made a good team. Even freeing the others, one of the captured Jedi, Kara, was badly bleeding from a cut on her forehead. Others were unconscious, or regaining consciousness. Master Skywalker looked positively broken — like he thought the whole thing was his fault, really. 

“They didn’t just imprison us,” Kara said. “They did...things...” She swallowed. “Ben was his ‘favorite’, but we weren’t spared either.”

Ben merely nodded. “We’re getting out of here,” he said. 

“Who tortured you?” Poe said. 

“That’s a harsh word, Captain Dameron.” a voice rumbled from the shadows. “But yes, I did.”

Poe couldn’t see the figure in the shadows at first, but then his eyes adjusted to the dark, and he saw a towering figure dressed, inexplicably, in gold robes and slippers. He narrowed his eyes. “Nice outfit. What, did the dress code for torturers change last time I checked?”

”Amusing, Captain Dameron, but irrelevant.” The figure (a Milaran) advanced further from the shadows, and Poe could see that his face was pale, almost skeleton-like, and scars ran across it, including one down the middle of his head. He had teeth that reminded Poe of a firaxan shark’s. 

“Who are you?” Poe said. 

“My name,” said the man, “Or rather, my title, is Snoke, if it pleases you. The full title, I fear, would be too long for human tongues. ‘Snoke’ is just a simplification. You no doubt have many questions. I can answer them — as long as you behave.”

 


	2. Capture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snoke is captured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

  _The room was cold, if you could call it a room, actually. It was a cell, Ben corrected himself, and he was a prisoner. They hadn’t given him food, so he was mostly drinking water, hoping it could calm the sudden gnawing ache in his belly._

_The door to his cell opened, and a tall figure in gold robes entered, wearing some sort of gold slippers. Gold slippers...if not for his current situation, Ben would have almost found it funny. And then there was something about the man — the Milaran — where Ben could have sworn that he had seen him before._

_Had felt him before..._

_”Hello, Ben.” The Milaran’s voice was a low sort of rumble._

” _I know you,” Ben said in a hushed voice. “I’ve felt you...”_

 _A_   _hand reached out and caressed his cheek in a way that made Ben’s skin erupt in gooseflesh. Something about those thin, long, almost claw-like fingers. “I’ve searched stars and galaxies to find you, young Solo...”_

_”What do you want from me?”_

_”For you to_ see _.”_

_Ben’s head was abruptly snapped back, and he felt like his body was arching against nothing. At the same time, white hot pain all but coursed through his body, probably what Force Lightning felt like..._

_And it was there that Ben saw. War-torn battlefields, mangled corpses, villages on fire._

_“Why...are you showing me this?” he forced out._

_The figure was completely calm. “Those were my origins, young Solo.”_  

***

Now, in this room with the figure — Snoke. It seemed that his monster had a name, or at least a title — Ben was already weak from the torture. But he wasn’t about to give in so quickly. Not now. 

“What did you do to Ben?” Poe said, and Ben was almost tempted to say what didn’t he do. 

“I taught him,” Snoke said. “He needed to understand, so I taught him.”

”Torture...” Poe barely seemed to be barely keeping his temper. His anger...it was almost like a force in and of itself. “Torture is never excusable. Never.”

Snoke barely flinched. “Call it what you will, Captain Dameron.”

“Torture is torture is torture.”

And all the while, Ben couldn’t help but admire Poe. After all, Poe was the same as always — the same man that Ben had fallen in love with.  Kind. Brave. All too willing to stand up to injustice — and with a damn good sense of humor to boot. 

Poe drew his blaster. “In the name of the New Republic — you’re under arrest, Snoke.”

 Snoke drew his lightsaber — a red, double-bladed thing. Poe fired at him, but Snoke deflected the blaster bolts like they were nothing, before —

Ben swallowed. He was still weak, but he had to defend Poe somehow. 

Somehow. 

He held out his hand and he didn’t even have to think much about it. Sometimes, when you practiced with the Force, things came as easily as breathing. 

***

Snoke was frozen in place. There was something about the look on his face that would have been almost comical if not for what he had done previously. Ben was already shaking, and Poe wanted to hold him in that moment. To just wrap his arms around him and squeeze...

He stepped towards Ben. He didn’t say anything, just looked at him, a question in his eyes.  _May I?_

Ben nodded, and Poe hugged him, feeling a sort of relief at just being there with him. Feeling his warm, tall, muscular body in his arms, such a contrast to Poe’s smaller one. He was solid too, and though he obviously needed to put some weight back on, he was still quite well-built...

Poe drew away. Ben needed comfort, not some sort of longing over him that had become a constant companion to him over the time that he realized his feelings for Ben (a year before, when Ben was eighteen and Poe twenty-one) — and stars, if Ben knew —

The both of them lingered on the other for a long while before drawing away, before they loaded Snoke into the ship. Poe would be lying if he said he didn’t feel some satisfaction when Snoke’s head bumped on the top of the entrance to their ship. Too good for him, actually. 

They loaded Snoke into medbay, and by now, Poe was already angry. How dare that creature, that disgusting torturer, hurt the others? How dare he hurt Ben? 

He sat next to Ben.  “Are you okay?” he said. 

Ben sighed. “I wish I was.” 

“It’s not your fault.”

“Thank you.” Ben wet his lips. “I guess I can tell you more when we get out of here.”

And Poe wished that he could do something, anything, just to take away Ben’s pain. The sheer look in Ben’s too-expressive brown eyes...

They headed up to the cockpit with Luke. 

“Where to?” Poe said. 

“We’re heading to Coruscant,” Luke said. “We have to do something with Snoke at least.”

Poe could only hope that the punishment that Snoke received would be painful. Even thinking about it, he couldn’t help but hate Snoke more. The bastard had tortured Ben, his friend, the man he loved, and Poe hadn’t known for far too long...

”Poe?” 

Ben’s voice was a temporary splash of cold water on his anger. Poe turned to look at Ben, and he said, “Snoke hurt you. I couldn’t...I can’t...”

”I’m okay,” Ben said, but his eyes were enough to betray how not okay he was. 

Poe already longed to hold him again — but Luke watching...he didn’t know what the Jedi Master would think. 

He longed to say more, but he doubted he could find the words either. Not with Luke watching him, not with his eyes practically boring through Poe. He swallowed. 

 _I love you_ , he wanted to say. Even with Luke not there, though, he still felt self-conscious. He still felt like the words were frozen in his throat. 

Luke seemed to sense it, because after setting the course for Coruscant, he left. Poe was already relieved. 

So it was just Poe and Ben in the cockpit. Poe swallowed. “I kriffed up, Ben,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

”You didn’t do anything wrong,” Ben said. “Really.” A beat. “Snoke didn’t think that you would come for me.”

Poe’s heart broke. “I always would.”

They continued on through hyperspace, and even as Poe continued to his room, he thought of Ben, of saying just what he needed to say. _I love you._  It should have been simple. And yet Poe couldn’t find the words. 

He hoped that he would, at least. 


	3. Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snoke escapes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Figured that I’d do a double or triple update to make up for just how long chapter two took to write.

_The whips cracked down on him, and Ben bit his lip, unwilling to let Snoke actually hear him scream. He wasn’t going to let it happen. Not when Snoke obviously wanted to get that sort of reaction out of him. That sort of response._

_Hit kath hounds holler. Ben didn’t know why his mind drifted to that phrase, but he supposed it was some sort of way to detach from the stinging crack of the whip. It hurt, everything hurt, and he just wanted to end the pain..._

_It stopped. And Ben could feel blood trickling down his back from the wounds, and the prospect of crying or screaming or both was all but tempting to do._

_“Is that all you’ve got, young Solo? I expected more. Pathetic.”_

Ben snapped awake, looking around his room, reassuring himself that in the end, it was just a memory — he was —

No. He wasn’t safe. Snoke was in medbay, Snoke was still there. As long as he was there, Ben doubted he could be safe. 

Safe was an illusion. 

He walked around the ship, carefully avoiding medbay — his whip scars and vibroblade scars tingled even as he passed medbay. 

_— Snoke, looking over his body in an almost detached way. “Does the pilot ever look at you like this?” —_

— and Ben shuddered. The less he remembered Snoke’s eyes on him, the better. 

BB-8 waited in the hallway, and Ben couldn’t help but smile. There was something about BB-8’s presence that was reassuring, especially with the monster in medbay. He shouldn’t see him — and yet he wanted to know why. Why him. Why he was one of Snoke’s favorites, really. 

Snoke was sitting all but perched on the bed in medbay, almost birdlike in Ben’s opinion, when Ben entered medbay. Everything about him made Ben think of a bird; his twisted, skeletal hands that were almost sallow in nature, his piercing blue eyes. Ben also couldn’t help but be drawn to his scars — one running down the center of his head. 

_“Where did you get these scars?” Ben found himself asking before he could stop himself._

_Snoke was quiet. Then he said, “The scars are many, young Solo, and the causes equally so. I can tell you this — I’ve lived for many years, and I’ve collected many scars.” A beat. “How old are you, young Solo?”_

_”Three thousand. Healthy living, you know?”_

_”Wrong answer. You’re only nineteen. In the years of my species, I would say your life is not quite lived.”_

_“Okay.” Ben sighed. “And you?”_

_”I’ve lived since before the birth of Darth Sidious. Since the birth of the Jedi, and the birth of the Sith.”_

_Ben stared at him. “That’s not possible,” he said. “Milarans can live long, but not that long.”_

_”In my experience, what’s possible is a barrier to progress. Before the Mandalorian Wars and the First Jedi Purge, before the Clone Wars, before the Empire, I have lived.”_

_”What do you want with me?”_

_”To reshape the galaxy with me.”_

Snoke looked up at Ben. “Young Solo,” he said. “You need something, don’t you?”

”Why did you do this to me?”

“You think you’re somehow distinguished?” Snoke said. “The first Jedi to be tested? There were many Jedi on the racks before you. It’s a tradition.”

”For what?”

Snoke looked up. “It appears,” he said, “We’re coming up on Coruscant. If you think I’m going to go quietly, you are mistaken.”

Ben found himself slammed himself against the wall of the shuttle, and all went black. 

***

When Ben came to, he blinked, rubbed his head — there was a bump on the back of his head, welling up. Uncle Luke and Poe were standing over him, and Poe was wrapping bandages around his head — there was something comforting about Poe’s touch. He leaned into it. Poe actually looked relieved that Ben was awake, and the look in his eyes was enough to make Ben wonder if Poe...did Poe feel the same way that Ben was scared to feel? 

“Thank the stars you’re all right,” Poe said. “For a moment...” 

“It was just a bump on the head,” Ben mumbled. 

“He threw you against the wall,” Luke said. “Hardly just a bump.” He sighed. “Snoke escaped. I’m so sorry, Ben.”

”This is my fault. If I’d actually fought back — I — ’’

”None of this is your fault,” Luke said. “Snoke is a powerful being. He’s not to be underestimated.”

”Yes, but — ’’

Poe looked him in the eye. “Anyone would have fallen victim, Ben. Trust me.” And he was so earnest in that moment that right here, right now, Ben believed him. 

Ben couldn’t help but look up, deeper, into Poe’s eyes. He had such mesmerizing brown eyes...

”You should rest.” Luke, this time, and Ben quietly cursed him for interrupting. “You badly injured your head. It’s only fortunate that it wasn’t worse.”

”It was just a bump — ’’

”You’re resting,” Luke said sternly. “I am not risking you walking around in your condition."

Ben sighed. “I’m not weak — ’’

”And you certainly don’t have common sense either.” Luke said. He softened. “I promised your mother I’d protect you.”

Poe looked at him. “You’re not weak, Ben. You just have to rest for a while.” A faint grin, almost crooked. “Nothing weak about that.”

”Exactly,” Luke said. 

Ben settled back, sighed. “I’m just not looking forward to going to sleep.”

”I’ll keep guard,” Poe said. “We’re on AutoPilot until we reach Yavin anyway.”

Ben smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

***

Even watching Ben, Poe couldn’t help but feel a bit tired himself. Ben looked...well, he looked so peaceful in that moment, with his black hair falling around his beautiful face — and he was beautiful, maybe not in the conventional cookie-cutter way, but there was a lot about his features that were well-shaped.  

The fine profile of his prominent nose, his full lips, his thick black lashes. The freckles that dotted his face. The slight smile that adorned his lips, and he looked so peaceful that Poe’s heart broke looking at him. He deserved it, after what he had endured. After all he’d gone through. 

Poe watched him, and already he longed to touch him, but he couldn’t. It would be out of line, more than out of line, to do it. He almost longed to do something, anything, to take away the pain Ben had endured. He wanted to say something to Ben, anything, maybe talk like a reasonable adult about how he felt, but it was like words were holding him back.

”I won’t let anyone hurt you again, Ben,” he said. “I promise.”

Ben’s steady breathing greeted him in response. Maybe, Poe thought, he could try talking to Ben about how he felt. Maybe...maybe...

_In his dreams, in his fantasies, the landscape between him and Ben was open, love was without restraints, and he was placing kisses on Ben’s shoulders and neck. Gentle ones, small presses of lips to skin. Nuzzles, gentle ones, and Poe knew that when his heart beat, it beat for Ben and no one else. Ben sighed contentedly under the kisses, and Poe moved on to worshipping his impressive chest — he had seen Ben’s chest when they’d gone swimming at Yavin, and it was impressive — well-defined pecs, everything. He took a nipple into his mouth, lapping and teasing at it, and Ben arched into Poe’s gentle, worshipful mouth. Even listening to his lover’s whimpers and requests for more, it only drove Poe onwards. Onwards, onwards..._

”Ben...” Poe murmured softly. “Ben..."

He opened his eyes, only to find Ben staring back into them across the room, clearly confused. “Ben...”


	4. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Ben get together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

There was something about the silence that was enough to make Poe wonder if he had done the wrong thing. Of course, he had mostly been talking in his sleep...

...thinking about Ben in a way that wasn’t often how friends thought about each other. Unless they were friends with benefits, of course. And Ben was staring at him like he had never seen him before.

"Ben,” Poe began. “I can explain.”

”What, exactly?”

_The fact that I’m in love with you. The fact that I don’t just see you as a friend. The fact that you’re such a good man, such a good person, and you don’t seem to realize it. The fact that I love you, you utter fool, and —_

“I love you, Ben.”

Silence. Ben seemed to be flickering through different emotions — different reactions. Then, “I...”

”I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?” Poe’s chest clenched in terror. He doubted he wanted to — no, he couldn’t lose Ben. He couldn’t bear it.

“No. I just...I need a minute...”

”Ben, you need to rest — ” 

But Ben had already stumbled towards the door.  

***

Ben managed to catch his breath by the time he reached the cargo hold of the shuttle, huddling against the wall. He all but forced air into his lungs even as he tried to come to terms with the emotions duking it out inside him. Poe loved him. Poe loved him. But what if he wasn’t good enough, what if he wasn’t worthy of it, not even in the slightest? 

He had been used to the idea of getting inconsistent affection from his mother. His father was more loving and stars willing, his uncle was trying, but even then, Ben could feel how much his uncle was afraid of what he could do. Like he was some sort of explosive; handle him wrong and he’d get burned. 

Footsteps. Ben huddled in the cargo hold, where he was able to regain his breath. He looked up, saw Poe. Poe, who had a look of worry on his face, like he’d crossed a line he had been worrying about for some time. 

“Ben?” he said softly. “Are you okay?”

”I must have panicked.” Ben took a deep breath. “No, I did panic. I don’t think you’re...not worthy, Poe. I’m the one who’s not good enough. I’m...I wasn’t worthy before and I’m not worthy now.”

"Ben.” Poe’s voice was gentle all the while. “Who told you that?”

Ben hesitated. In truth, he couldn’t say if there was any _one_ person who had actually said that he was worthless. His mother had never said it out loud, for example, but she had had these conversations with his father where she seemed to describe him like he was some sort of monster. 

A monster. Was he some sort of monster? He didn’t want to be. 

“I don’t know. I guess I’ve always felt that way.”

”You shouldn’t feel this way,” Poe said. “You’re a good person. You’re funny. You’re smart. You’re...everything to me, and you don’t even know.”

Ben swallowed. He couldn’t deny that Poe was telling the truth. More than anything he was telling the truth, and yet Ben was taking a while to believe it. To fully understand. 

“I love you too,” Ben said. “I know that much.”

Their lips were so close. Ben couldn’t help but stop, stare at how full and soft they were. Could he have this? Was this something that he could have without fear? 

Then they leaned in, and aside from trying to see how noses and lips and tongues fit into this (seriously, where did tongues fit into this?), Ben didn’t care. His lips met Poe’s, soft lips, gentle lips, and he welcomed Poe in, his taste, his feel, and fingers tangled in his hair just right. Experimentally, Ben caressed and ran his fingers through Poe’s curls, and the soft texture of it, the sweet whimper that he drew out of Poe, let him know he was doing all of this right. 

Finally, they drew away, and Ben was gasping for air. His lips were swollen, his lungs were all but forcing air back into them, and Poe...seeing this breathtakingly beautiful, kind man sitting across from him, looking at him with such adoration and amusement, that just added to that floaty, almost happy feeling. 

“So,” Ben said. “That was a...real kiss.”

“Yeah.” Poe grinned at him, and his grin was almost infectious. “Yeah, it was.”

Ben didn’t know how his uncle would react, or his father, or his mother, or anyone. But he knew that with Poe with him...perhaps, maybe, he could do anything. 

 


End file.
